Automatic current-interrupter.



moxmnzo. P-ATENTED"APR.2,1907.

v. H. BROU. v AUTOMATIC CURRENT INTERRUPTER.

APPLIOATIQH FILED SEPT. 5. 1906.

D/ //'J l C .n' d TV FE Witnesses: Inventor,

)% fi v/fl/L Vicior H Bra C,

UNTTEn sTaTEs PATENT EEIoE.

vIcTOR I-IENRI RROO, OF NEW YORK,N.MY., ASSIGNOR To BROC-BARBIER AUTO IGNITION COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF N EVV YORK.

a AUTOMAT-BC CURRENT-INTERRUPTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 2, 1907.

Anplication filed September 5, 1906. Serial Ila-333.289.

To al whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VICTOR HENRI BROO, a subject of the Republic of France, residing at No. 246 West Thirty eighth street, borough of Manhattan, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Current-Interrupters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain novel improvements in automatic current-interrupters; and its object is to provide a high-frequency make and break in a battery-circuit.

To this end my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of a current maker and breaker double hinged and with springs act ng in Opposition, so that in case the points or rivets shown stick together or freeze and in that way prevent the immediate breaking of the circuit when the current flows and magnetic attraction is induced then the free detached portion of the lever will be drawn to the magnet, one spring com? pressed, and the detached portion of the lever held in place until the pressure of the other spring shall have released the second portion of the lever and sobroken the circuit.

In describing this invention reference is had to .the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, the same reference characters indicating the same parts of the invention upon each.

Figure 1 is a detailed sectional side view on the line I I of Fig. 2, and Fig. 2 is a detailed sectional end view on the line II II of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, A is a light electricallyconductive strip or piece of magnetically inert metal, which may be made of any convenient size or shape, pivoted or hinged at or near the middle on an aXle or support B, with'a point or rivet c of metal or any suitable electrically-conductive material, preferably platinum,or any other Operative means of conductive contact fastened or arranged at any convenient point thereon or otherwise provided. (Z is another platinum point or other suitable means of contact, made of the same size as c or otherwise adapted to make and break a circuit together with c, and is held in position by a screw D, set in a bracket D or fastened in any convenient adjustable manner so that the point (1' will be directly over or opposite to the point 0 and adapted to meet and be separated from said point as the lever A is moved up and down upon the axle or support B. E is another strip or piece of metal, conveniently made of Swede or other suitable soft non-magnetic iron, pivoted or hinged at one end on the axle or support B independently of the hinging or pivoting of the metal A, so that it is held up by a spring F in such manner that it will rest against the metal A and compress the spring G, which by thrust against the strip A tends to throw down the end of that metal bar or strip carrying the rivet c, the pressure of the spring F in this manner holding the iron E against the strip or bar A, thus compressing the spring G, raising the end of the bar or strip A, and bringing the rivet or contactpoint a into conjunction with the contactpoint (Z.

H is a soft-iron core surrounded by a coil or helix of insulated electrically-conductive wire in suchmanner that when an electrical current is passed through the same such core will become magnetically active and draw toward itself the soft-iron strip or bar E.

The strips or bars A and E and their supports, springs, and connections are mounted upon an insulating-support consisting of a table, plate, or strip H of suitable insulating material, and likewise the point 01 and its support D and bracket D are separately mounted upon said insulating-support H, and the said two sets of parts are separated electrically by said insulating-support or 0therwise suitably mounted and insulated from each other in such manner that there is no electrically-conductive connection between the one group, composed of d, D, D, and J, and the other, composed of A, B, E, G, and F, when said points 0 and d are separated each from the other.

The point or rivet d and its supports D and D are so mounted and connected together that a current of electricity will pass over and through said parts, and the same are by the binding-post J or by any suitable means connected to one of the poles of an electric battery K, such as is usually em ployed for sparking and similar purposes. The other pole of said battery K is by a binding-post L or any suitable means electrically connected. with the coil surrounding the core H and with the point 0 through. its support A.

l/Vhen the points 0 and (Z are in contact, the electrical current flows between said points into the circuit and through said coil. The core H being magnetized, stated above, attracts" part E and releases the upward pressure upon one end of the lever or part A, so that the spring G, placed under the other end of part A, pressing upward throws down the other end, thus separating the points or rivets c and. (Z and breaking the circuit.

In case the mechanism is operating in its usual or normal manner the strip E attracted by the magnetic core H and. passes over toward it, followed instantl -J the strip A and the strips or parts A and I] operate together as a single vibrating lever, the pressure of the springs F and G being so count erbalanced that the rivets or points are normally and in the absence of electric current in contact. Upon the passage of the current the circuit is immediately broken and then made and broken again and again. with great rapidity; but in case said points 0 and. (1 should become fixed or "frozen together in any manner, so that the strip or part A is not free to operate and the contact-points are held fixed together, then the part or strip A alone remains in position, while the part or strip E is drawn down by the attraction of the magnet, and so held as long as the points 0 andv (Z remain in contact, thus allowing the spring G to exert its full and continuous pressure against whatever occasions the adhesion. of the one point to the other until such adhesion is overcome, whereupon the circuit is broken and the points being released from the attrac tion of the magnetic core are again forced into contact by the action of the springs and levers.

From this description the operation of my current-interrup ter is readily understood and its advantage over similar devices can be appreciated, in that the spring G works against the tendency of the points or rivets to adhere together, so that the possibili 1y of the freezing of the points, preventing the interruption of the current, is overcome and. the operation of the current-breaker is made much more rapid, while remaining certain and effective.

A fine adjustment is readily had without sacrificing certainty, the means employed tending in no way to interfere with or limit the speed. and overcoming each occasional freezing in an incaleulably short period of time, so permitting much. greater rapidity in the making and breaking of the circuit than has heretofore been possible.

In the construction shown, when the platinuin points return to contact a full electrical connection is at once made and the full magnetic attraction to break the circuit is immediately exerted, insuring rapidity of operation and. great effectiveness in sparking, these results being obtain-ed. to much greater degree than in the old and. well-known current-intcrruptersor such as have been devised heretofore for the purpose of improving their operation. in the present -onstruction the lower or magueticatlly-agractable arm may vibrate slightly, wnile at the same time the upper arm remains firmly in contact to close the circuit, while also the arrangement of the spiral springs tends di rectly to stop vibration. in the present construction, moretwer, certainty of action is so :ured without the necessity for added motion and consequent loss of speed experienced in devices allowing free play of a lever follo 'ed. by a clash or luinnner-blow in some form to produce the separation of the contact-points.

It is obvious that tie strips ii and E may be held. together by a (3-spring, an elastic ba d, or any similar s mple novice, and ad justeil by springs or otherwise to bear nor mally against the rivet (1, though speed and effectiveness would be somewhat in'ipaircd by such method.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters l a'tent, is i l in an interrupter for electrical currents, vibrating arm or lever, composedv of two parts held together by opposing springs, substantially as described.

2. In an interrupter for electrical currents, a vibrating arm or lever, composed of two parts held in place by opposing springs, sub stantial y as described.

3. ln an interrupter for electrical currents, a vibrating arm or lever, composed of two parts, one hung between its ends, and the other at one end, substantially as described.

l. In an :ii'iterrupter for electrical currents, a vibrating arm or lever, composed of two parts, the strip supported one end being adapted to be attracted away from the other by a 1n a net, substantially as described.

5. in an interrupter for electrical currems, a vibrating arm or lever, composed of two parts held together and. in place by two springs, substantially as described.

6. In an. interrupter for electrical currents, a vibrating arm or lever, composed of two parts held together and in place by opposing springs, substantially as described.

in an interrupter for electrical currems, a vibrating arm or lever, composed of two parts held together and in place by opposing springs, pivoted, or flexibly hung on the same line of support, substantially as eescribed.

S. In an interrupter for electrical currents, a vibrating arm or lever, composed of two parts, flexibly lnmg on the same line of support, held together by spiral springs, one

hung between its ends and the other at one end, substantially as described.

9. In an interrupter for electrical currents, a vibrating arm or lever, composed of two parts held together by springs, the strip supported at one end being adapted to be attracted away from the other by a magnet, substantially as described.

10. In an interrupter for electrical currents, a vibrating arm or lever, composed of two parts held together by opposing springs, the strip supported at one end being adapted to be attracted away from the other by a magnet, substantially as described.

11. In an interrupter for electrical cur rents, a vibrating arm or lever, composed of two parts held in place by opposing spiral springs, pivoted or flexibly, hung on the same line of support, one between its ends and the other at one end, substantially as described.

12. In an interrupter for electrical currents, a vibrating arm or lever, composed of two parts, pivoted or flexibly, hung on the same line of support, one hung between its ends and the other at one end, substantially as described.

13. In an interrupter for electrical currents, a vibrating arm, or lever, composed of two parts pivoted, or flexibly, hung on the same line of support, the strip supported at one end being adapted to be attracted away from the other by a magnet, substantially as described.

14. In an interrupter for electrical currents, a vibrating arm or lever, composed of two parts, one hung between its ends, and the other at one end, the strip supported at one end being adapted to be attracted away from the other by a magnet, substantially as described.

15. In an electrical-current interrupter, a vibrating arm or lever, composed of two parts, one magnetically attractable, and one magnetically inert, held in place by spiral springs, substantially as described.

16. In an electrical-current interrupter, a vibrating arm or lever, composed of two parts, one magnetically attractable, and one magnetically inert, held in place by opposing spiral springs, substantially as described.

17. In an electrical-current interrupter, a vibrating arm or lever, composed of two parts, one magnetically attractable, hung at one end and one magnetically inert, hung between its ends, substantially as described.

18. In an electrical-current interrupter, a vibrating arm or lever, composed of two parts, one magnetically attractable, hung at one end, and one magnetically inert, the strip magnetically attractable being adapted to be attracted away from the other by a magnet, substantially as described.

19. In an electrical-current interrupter, a vibrating arm or lever, composed of two parts, one magnetically attractable, and one magnetically inert, held together and in place by two springs, substantially as described.

20. In an electrical-current interrupter, a vibrating arm or lever, composed of two parts, one magnetically attractable, and one magnetically inert, held in place by springs, pivoted or flexibly, hung on the same line of support, substantially as described.

21. In an electrical-current interrupter, a vibrating arm of lever, composed of two parts, one magnetically attractable, hung at one end, and one magnetically inert, hung between its ends, both held in place by spiral springs, substantially as described.

22. In an electrical-current interrupter, a vibrating arm or lever, composed of two parts, one magnetically attractable, and one magnetically inert, held together by opposing springs, the arm supported at one end being adapted to be attracted away from the other by a magnet, substantially as described.

23. In an electrical-current interrupter, a vibrating arm or lever, composed of two parts, one magnetically attractable, and one magnetically inert, held in place by opposing springs, the arm supported at one end being adapted to be attracted. away from the other by a magnet, substantially as described.

24. In an electrical-current interrupter, a vibrating arm or lever, composed of two parts, one magnetically attractable, and one magnetically inert, one hung between its ends, and the other at one end, the arm supported at one end being adapted to be attracted away from the other by a magnet, substantially as described.

25. In an interrupter for electrical currents, a vibrating arm or lever, composed of two parts, pivoted or flexibly, hung on the same line, the one between its ends, and the other at one end, held together and in place by spiral springs, substantially as described. 26. In an interrupter for electrical currents, a vibrating arm or lever, composed of two parts, pivoted or flexibly, hung on the same line, the one between its ends, and the other at one end, held together and in place by spiral springs, the arm supported at one end being adapted to be attracted away from the other by a magnet, substantially as described.

27. In an interrupter for electrical currents, a vibrating arm or lever, composed of two parts, pivoted or flexibly, hung on the same line, the one between. its ends and the other at one end, held together and in place by springs, the arm supported at one end being adapted to be attracted away from the other by a magnet, being attracted as the current flows and released. when the current is broken, substantially as described.

28. In an interrupter for electrical currents, a vibrating arm or lever, composed of two parts, pivoted or flexibly, hung on the same line, the one between its ends and the other at one end, held together and in place by springs, the arm supported at one end being adapted to be attracted away from the other by a magnet, being attracted, as the current lows and released when the current is broken, and adapted to operate together, or to be drawn apart, substantially as described.

29. In an interrupter for electrical currents, a Vibrating arm or lever, composed. of two parts, pivoted or flexibly, hung on the same line, the one between its ends and the other at one end, held together and in place by springs, the arm supported at one end being adapted to be attracted. away from the other by a magnet, in case the first becomes frozen or fixed, being attracted as the current flows and released when the current is broken, and so constructed that the parts approaching to form a contact will meet and remain together Without recoil or Vibration, substantially as described.

30. In an interrupter l or electrical currents, a Vibrating arm or lever, composed of two parts, held together and in place by springs and so constructed that the parts approach ing to form a contact will meet and remain I together Without recoil or vibration, substantially as described.

In testimony Whereol I have allixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

VICTOR HENRI BROC. W itnesses FRANK COOHRANE, I. T. IV. RU'rnEa. 

